Acetonitrile

HPLC, LC/MS, ACS Reagent and Anhydrous Acetonitrile, from 500 mL Bottles to 55 Gallon Drums.

Lab Alley is an acetonitrile supplier for HPLC and LC/MS labs, synthesis chemists, electrochemistry groups and oligonucleotide manufacturers. We stock the solvent itself in five grades: HPLC Grade (99.9%), LC/MS Grade, ACS Reagent Grade (99.5%), Anhydrous Reagent Grade (10 ppm water or less) and Preparative HPLC Grade for scale up purification. Alongside those sit five ready to use DNA synthesis reagents made up in acetonitrile, from activator solutions to capping reagents.

The spec sheet is where the grades really separate, and every product page shows it. Our HPLC Grade caps water at 0.02% and UV absorbance at 0.02 AU at 220 nm. The LC/MS Grade goes further, with background limits of 50 ppb in both positive and negative ion mode. The anhydrous grade holds water at 10 ppm or below, which is what moisture sensitive chemistry demands.

Acetonitrile for sale here comes in 500 mL, 1 gallon and 4 L bottles, 4 x 4 L cases, 5 gallon pails, 20 L containers and 55 gallon drums, depending on grade. It travels as a DOT Class 3 flammable liquid (UN1648, PG II), so a hazmat fee applies at checkout. The SDS and lot specific COAs are posted online, so your EHS and QA teams can sign off before the order goes in. Need drum pricing or a standing monthly order? Ask for a quote and we'll price it.

Still weighing grades? The chemistry notes and FAQ below cover the questions we hear most. And if acetonitrile is one line on a longer order, the full Solvents range is right here.

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Acetonitrile - 10 products

About Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile (CH3CN), also sold as methyl cyanide or simply ACN, is the simplest organic nitrile. It's a clear, colorless liquid with a faint ether smell, and it mixes with water in any ratio. Chemists call it a polar aprotic solvent. In plain terms, it's polar enough to dissolve salts and many polar organics, but it has no hydroxyl hydrogen to hand off, so it stays out of the way in a lot of reactions.

The numbers people look up most: boiling point 81.6 °C, melting point minus 46 °C, density 0.786 g/mL at 25 °C, molecular weight 41.05. Low viscosity and a clear UV window down near 190 nm explain why so many reversed phase HPLC methods call for it by name.

Two safety points matter more than the rest. The flash point is 12.8 °C (55 °F), so treat it as highly flammable. And the body metabolizes acetonitrile into cyanide, which means symptoms of overexposure can show up hours later. Keep containers sealed, cool and away from oxidizers and strong acids, and read the SDS before first use.

COMMON APPLICATIONS

HPLC and UHPLC come first. Acetonitrile and water, often with a little formic acid or TFA, make up the mobile phase for a huge share of reversed phase separations in pharma QC, environmental testing and research.

LC/MS work pushes purity further. Any trace contaminant that ionizes shows up as background, so mass spec labs buy a grade tested for exactly that.

Oligonucleotide and DNA synthesis runs on acetonitrile. Automated synthesizers use it as the main wash solvent and as the carrier for activators and capping reagents, which is why our bioreagent solutions are made up in it.

Synthesis and electrochemistry need it dry. Anhydrous acetonitrile is a common reaction medium for moisture sensitive chemistry, a solvent for cyclic voltammetry, and a staple in battery electrolyte research. It also shows up in non aqueous titrations.

Then there's extraction and processing: pharmaceutical manufacturing, pulling fatty acids from oils for analysis, and purifying butadiene in refinery streams.

GRADES EXPLAINED

ACS Reagent Grade (99.5% minimum) meets American Chemical Society reagent specifications. Water is capped at 0.3% and residue after evaporation at 0.005%. It's the everyday choice for synthesis, extractions, teaching labs and general reagent work, and it's the only grade here sold all the way from a 500 mL bottle to a 55 gallon drum.

HPLC Grade (99.9% minimum) adds UV absorbance limits across the spectrum, from 1.00 AU at 190 nm down to 0.005 AU between 300 and 400 nm, plus water at 0.02% max. Buy it for analytical HPLC with UV detection. It comes in 4 L bottles and 4 x 4 L cases.

LC/MS Grade (99.9% minimum) keeps the HPLC tests and adds mass spec checks: reserpine in positive mode and nitrophenol in negative mode, each at 50 ppb max, fluorescent impurities at 1 ppb max, residue at 1 mg/L and water at 0.010%. It's the one to use when your detector is a mass spectrometer.

Anhydrous Reagent Grade (99.8% minimum) is about water, and only water: 10 ppm or less. Pick it for organometallic and other moisture sensitive reactions, electrochemical measurements and non aqueous titration.

Preparative HPLC Grade (99.9% minimum) is bulk mobile phase for purifying peptides and small molecules at scale, packed in 55 gallon drums. The bioreagent products on this page are not solvents to buy by grade; they're prepared oligo synthesis solutions with acetonitrile as the carrier.

TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE

Acetonitrile 99.9% HPLC Grade

The standard pick for UV detection HPLC, with tight UV absorbance and water limits.

Acetonitrile, LC/MS Grade

Tested for low MS background in both ion modes, so your baseline stays quiet.

Acetonitrile 99.5% Reagent ACS Grade

General lab and synthesis solvent, and the widest size range we carry, up to 55 gallons.

Acetonitrile, Anhydrous, ≤10ppm H2O, Reagent Grade

For reactions and measurements where a trace of water ruins the result.

Acetonitrile, Preparative HPLC

Drum quantity mobile phase for scale up purification work.

Bioreagent Grade oligo synthesis reagents

DCI and ETT activator solutions plus Capping Reagent A and B, all made up in acetonitrile.

WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY

256,000+ customers already order their solvents and chemicals from Lab Alley.

Most orders, 99.5 percent, ship within 1 to 2 business days. An acetonitrile order should not be what holds up your production or research.

Inventory accuracy sits at 98.9 percent, so the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships.

Every acetonitrile grade ships with SDS and COA available online, so documentation is ready before your order arrives.

Acetonitrile 99.9% HPLC Grade View product →

Acetonitrile, LC/MS Grade View product →

Acetonitrile 99.5% Reagent ACS Grade View product →

Acetonitrile, Anhydrous, ≤10ppm H2O, Reagent Grade View product →

Frequently Asked Questions

HPLC Grade or LC/MS Grade acetonitrile, which one do I need?

It depends on your detector. With UV or diode array detection, HPLC Grade is built for the job: it's tested for UV absorbance from 190 to 400 nm and caps water at 0.02%. Running a mass spectrometer? Buy LC/MS Grade. It's also screened for ionizable background, with limits of 50 ppb in positive and negative mode, so contaminant peaks don't crowd your spectra.

What do 99.5%, 99.9% and 10 ppm actually mean?

The percentage is the minimum assay, meaning how much of the bottle is acetonitrile. Our ACS Grade is at least 99.5%; HPLC, LC/MS and Preparative HPLC are at least 99.9%. The ppm figure on the anhydrous grade is about water specifically. Ten ppm is 0.001%, or about 300 times drier than the 0.3% limit on ACS Grade.

Do I need a permit or license to buy acetonitrile?

Lab Alley doesn't require a purchase permit for acetonitrile, unlike some ethanol grades. It is regulated for transport, though. It ships as a DOT Class 3 flammable liquid, UN1648, Packing Group II, so every order carries a hazmat fee. Your own institution may have internal approval steps for flammable solvents, so check with your EHS team if you're unsure.

Is your acetonitrile Kosher, Halal or food grade?

No. None of our acetonitrile products carry Kosher, Halal or food grade certification. These are laboratory and analytical solvents, and the bioreagent solutions are for oligo synthesis. What each grade does come with is an SDS, a technical data sheet and lot specific COAs, all posted on the product page.

Can acetonitrile ship to a residential address?

Plan on a business, lab or school address. Acetonitrile is a flammable hazmat solvent, and carriers treat it that way. If you're not sure your delivery address qualifies, call Customer Care at 512-668-9918 before you order. For drums, a site with a loading dock makes receiving much easier.

Which acetonitrile grade is best for my application?

Match it to the work. UV HPLC: HPLC Grade. LC/MS: LC/MS Grade. Organic synthesis, extraction or teaching labs: ACS Reagent Grade usually does the job at a lower price. Moisture sensitive reactions, electrochemistry or non aqueous titration: Anhydrous Grade. Large scale purification: Preparative HPLC. Oligo synthesis: our bioreagent activator and capping solutions.

Acetonitrile vs methanol for HPLC, what's the difference?

Acetonitrile has lower viscosity, so column backpressure drops, and its UV cutoff sits near 190 nm compared with roughly 205 nm for methanol. That helps at low wavelengths. It's aprotic, while methanol is protic, so the two give different selectivity on the same column. Methanol usually costs less. Plenty of labs keep both on the shelf; our <a href="https://www.laballey.com/chemicals/solvents/methanol">Methanol</a> page has HPLC and LC/MS grades too.

Can I buy acetonitrile in bulk or by the drum?

Yes. ACS Reagent Grade comes in 5 gallon pails, 20 L containers and 55 gallon drums, plus multi bottle cases. HPLC, LC/MS and Anhydrous grades ship in 4 L bottles or 4 x 4 L cases. Preparative HPLC is a 55 gallon drum item priced by quote. For pallets or a recurring schedule, go through <a href="https://www.laballey.com/bulk-and-custom-chemicals">Bulk & Custom Chemicals</a>, and <a href="https://www.laballey.com/pages/autoship">Autoship</a> takes 10% off repeat orders.

How much does acetonitrile cost?

Every size shows its price on the product page, so there's no guessing. The per liter cost drops as the pack gets bigger, and cases usually beat single bottles. ACS Grade is the most economical, while HPLC and LC/MS grades cost more because of the extra testing behind them. Drum and pallet pricing comes by quote.

How should I store acetonitrile once it arrives?

Keep it tightly capped in a cool, dry, well ventilated flammables area, away from heat, sparks, oxidizers and strong acids. Close bottles right after use. Acetonitrile picks up moisture from the air, which matters most for the anhydrous and LC/MS grades. Our storage guide below goes into container and cabinet details.

Guides & Resources

Acetonitrile Overview

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Types of Acetonitrile

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Acetonitrile Uses & Applications

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Acetonitrile Safety & Hazards

Learn acetonitrile's safety guidelines, hazards, and handling practices. Understand exposure risks, protective equipment, storage, first aid, and compliance standards for safe use.

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How to Store Acetonitrile

Learn how to safely store acetonitrile. Discover best practices for storage, handling, and labeling to maintain quality, prevent contamination, and ensure compliance.

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